Web controlling mechanism



Feb.12,1935. H. FANKBONE R 1,990,643

WEB CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed' Dec. 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l F-JNvENToR ATTORNZ v Feb. 12, 1935; H. FANKBONER 1,990,643

WEB CONTROLLING MECHANISM I Filed Dec 26, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 2 x a R W Mn ATTO H. FANKBONER WEB CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 26, 1931 5 Sheets-s 3 AT N Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEB CONTROLLING MECHANISM Application December 26, 1931, Serial No. 583,271

9 Claims. (Cl. 242-45) The present invention relates to a novel and improved web controlling mechanism and more particularly to a mechanism for controlling the tension of webs fed to fast rotary printing presses.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to here- -in and constituting a part hereof, illustrate two embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially diagrammatic and with other parts shown in section, of one illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an improved web controlling mechanism and method for continuously controlling the tension of the web fed from a web roll and for quickly stopping the rotation of the web roll when necessary. A further object is the provision of a web controlling mechanism in which the braking force is applied both to the surface and ,the axial portion of the web rol1,-and more particularly the provision of a mechanism in which each of these braking forces is variable and controlled by the running web. Another object is the provision of an improved compensating means permitting a limited amount of individual yielding movement of the straps employed to apply the braking force to the surface of the Web roll. Still another object is the provision of a web roll controlling mechanism in which the braking force is applied to the surface of the web roll and is supplemented by a braking force applied to the axial portion of the web roll, thereby preventing the loosening of the outer layers of the web roll when the roll is stopped very quickly.

In accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, the web roll from which the running web is fed to the printing press is controlled in its rotation by means of straps engaging and pressed into contact with the surface of the web roll with a variable pressure and under control of the tension of the web to maintain the web tension substantially constant In addition to the straps, a brake mechanism is provided and con nected to the axial portion of the web roll, and means are provided for varying the braking force applied by this brake either to maintain the tension of the web constant and to assist in stopping the web roll quickly, or to be employed only for the purpose of stopping rotation of the web roll. A plurality of the straps are preferably employed and are spaced from each other across the width of the web roll, and means are provided for permitting limited yielding movement of the individual straps to compensate for irregularities in the surface of the web roll.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for use with a plurality of web rolls, the web rolls 10 are rotatably mounted in a magazine reel so that the running web may be led from one of the web rolls to the printing press or other web-consuming machine. As is usual in this type of mechanism, the running web is led from only one of the rolls 10, and as this roll becomes exhausted, a new web roll is moved into position by rotation of the magazine reel and the web lead is transferred 1 from the expiring roll to the next or reserve web roll, after which the exhausted roll may be replaced.

The magazine reel comprises a pair of plural arm supports 12 mounted on side frames 13 by means of the main reel shaft 15, said supports being spaced apart to receive the web rolls 10 between them and being provided at the outer ends of their arms with chucks or shafts 16 by which the web rolls are rotatably supported. Suitable means, not shown, may be provided for rotating the plural-armed supports to bring new web rolls into feeding position as required, and for holding the arms in the desired position during the normal operation of the mechanism.

For tensioning the web as it is fed from the rotating web roll to the printing press, friction members engaging the surface of the web roll and pressed into contact therewith with a variable pressure, and under control of a pilot roller, are provided for creating the required tension and maintaining it'constant. While these means may be of widely different form, they are preferably generally similar to the mechanism shown and described in the application of Charles J. Richter, Ser. No. 414,121, filed December 14, 1929. -As embodied, the friction members engaging the surface of the active web roll comprise a plurality of flexible spaced-apart straps or belts which are pressed into contact with the periphery of the web roll with sufficient pressure to produce a substantially constant web tension. Straps 25 are securely fastened at their lower ends to a bar 26, extending from one side of the web roll supporting mechanism to the other and secured in the lower portion of the side frames 13. Straps 25 are pressed into contact with the surface of the web roll and maintained in contact-therewith as the web roll wears down, and for this purpose, their upper ends are fastened to individual rollers 29 mounted on a shaft 30 rotatably journalled in the side frames 31 of the press, these rollers being in substantial alinement with the lower ends of the friction straps.

Weighted means are provided for winding the belts on the rollers 29 to take up the slack in the belts as the web roll wears down. These means comprise a relatively heavy weight 33, which is vertically slidable in a trackway formed between the angled strips 34 extending vertically along the edges of the upright portion of one side frame 31. Weight 33 is connected with rollers 29 to rotate them by means of a cable 35 at-- tached to the weight, extending upwardly over pulley 36 and wound on drum 37, fast on one end of roller shaft 30.

Means are also provided for controlling the application of the weight to the belts, permitting the weight to move only when the belts have become slack and incapable of exerting suflicient pressure on the surface of the web roll. As embodied, these means comprise a brake drum 39 fixed on roller shaft 30 and cooperating with a pair of brake shoes 40 which are pivotally mounted on brake arms 41. Brake arms 41 are pivoted on a common pivot pin 42 projecting from the side frame of the press and are pressed against the brake drum by means of spring 32, the tension of which can be varied by hand wheel 46.

In order to provide a more minute and a continuouscontrol of the tension of the web and for maintaining it substantially constant under all normal conditions of operation, a pilot roller 48, moved by a loop in the web 11 as it passes to the press, is connected with the belts and varies their pressure against the active web roll. Pilot roller 48- is freely rotatable and is supported by a pair of arms 50 pivotally mounted in the upright side frames of the press by means of shaft 51, to

which the arms are keyed. At their upper ends arms 50 are provided with slots 53 to receive the ends of the pilot roller shaft 54 and to move the arms in accordance with movement of the pilot roller. Pilot roller 48 is journalled in blocks 55 and these blocks are slidable in the horizontal slideways 56 at either side of the press frame, the tension of the web moving the roller against the tension of springs 58.

Movement of the pilot roller 48 is transmitted to the belts 25 by means of rollers 59 mounted on a shaft 60 extending from one arm 50 to the other, and the belts 25 are looped over rollers 59 between guide rollers 132 and roller 29. Any movement of the pilot roller causes a corresponding movement in the belts and increases or decreases their pressure against the web roll.

Means are also provided for taking up slack in the friction belts under control of the pilot roller, and as embodied, pilot roller 48 s connected with brake 39, 40 and controls the operation of weight 33, permitting it to act periodically as the web roll is depleted. An operating cam 64 is pivotally mounted on pin 65, and connected with pilot roller 48 by means of link 67, lever 66 and pin and slot connections 68. Cam 64 is positioned between the upper ends of brake arms 41 and as the pilot roller is moved beyond a predetermined limit, it causes a release of the brake and an application of the weight 33, sufficient to take up the slack in the belts.

Means are provided for permitting independent yielding movement of the individual belts 25, to compensate for inequalities or irregularities in the surface of the web roll, thereby preventing application of undue pressure when the belts contact with irregular high portions of the roll. For this purpose, each belt '25 is engaged by a freely rotatable roller resiliently pressed against a normally straight reach of the belt and defleeting the belt from its straight position, thereby providing a small amount of slack which may be taken up' by any irregularities in the surface of the web roll. As embodied, these rollers 70 are mounted on the upper surface of the belt between rollers 132 and 59 and are freely rotatable in arms 71, oscillatably mounted on shaft 51 and yieldably deflecting the belt by means of variably tensionable springs '12 attached to arms 71 and a supporting bar 73 extending from one press frame to the other.

In accordance with the present invention, means are also provided for quickly stopping rotation of the web roll, as, for example, when the web breaks in its passage through the press. These means comprise brakes acting on the web roll shafts and under control of the running web. As embodied, each brake comprises a pair of brake shoes 74 pivoted at 75 on the outer ends of arms 12 and coacting with brake drums '76 fixed to the web roll shafts or chucks 16. At their inner ends, brake shoes '74 are provided with armatures 77 which extend inwardly towards each other and into a solenoid '78.

Brake shoes '14 are normally held apart from each other and are applied by energizing solenoid 78. In running position, the brake for the active web roll is normally completely released, the lower brake shoe being held out of contact with the brake pulley by the force of gravity, while the upper brake shoe is raised out of contact with the brake drum by means of compression spring 79, encircling the upper armature '77 and positioned between the upper shoe and solenoid '78.

Means are provided for selectively connecting the brake for the rimning web roll with brakecontrolling mechanism, and as embodied, a pair of commutator rings are mounted on the side frame 13 concentric with the magazine reel shaft 15. These rings are each divided into a plurality of segments 80, corresponding in number to the number of web rolls supported in the reel and each segment is secured to an insulating support 81 which insulates it from the remaining segments. Segments are directly connected with their corresponding solenoids '78 and are positioned on the reel to contact with brushes 87, so that as each new web roll is brought into webfeeding position, the corresponding brake for that web roll is rendered operative.

Power is supplied to the brake for the active web roll from the mains 83 through conductors 84 and under control of a manually-operated switch 85 and a web-controlled switch 86, both switches being in series with the brake armature.

' 88 are pivotally mounted on shaft89 extending transversely of the web, and each finger is provided with an upright portion carrying a movable contact which is moved into contact with stationary contact 91 whenever the web breaks orv becomes too slack. Closure of the contacts 90, 91 causes an application of the electromagnetic brake to the active web roll, quickly stopping or retarding rotation of the web roll.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention just described, weight 33, cooperating with the pilot roller controlled brake 39, 40, serves to maintain the tension strap 25 in contact with the surface of the web roll as it wears down, and-roller 59, moved by small changes in tension of the web, tends to maintain the pressure between the straps 25 and web roll substantially constant, thereby creating a substantially constant web tension. When a brake in the web occurs, one or more of the detector fingers is moved, causing contacts 90, 91 to be closed and rotation of the active web roll is quickly stopped by the application of the corresponding electro-magnetic brake. In case slack accumulates in the web, as might be the case when the press is being shut down. electro-magnetic brakes would assist the tension straps 25 in retarding or stopping the rotation-of the active web roll. 1

In accordance with the modification of the invention illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the tension of the web drawn from the web roll is controlled by friction members or straps pressed into contact with the surface of the active web roll by means of weights and under control of a pilot roller moved by changes in tension of the web. This mechanism may be similar to that described in connection with the foregoing embodiment, and its detail description need not be repeated.

In this modification, auxiliary means are provided' for controlling the tension of the running web and for quickly stopping the rotation of the web roll when necessary. These means comprise a brake acting on the axial portion of the'web roll and continuously controlled by movementsof the pilot roller, thereby assisting the straps in the normal tensioning of the running web and preventing loosening of the outer surface of the web roll when it is quickly stopped. As embodied, each of the web rolls is pfbvided with a brake comprising a pair of brake shoes 74 pivotally mounted at 75 on the outer ends of arm 12 and coacting with brake drum'76 fixed to the web roll shafts or chucks'16. At their inner ends brake shoes 74 are provided with armatures 77 which extend inwardly towards each other and into a solenoid 78.

Brake shoes 74 are normally held apart from each other and are applied by energizing solenoid 78. In running position, the brake for the active web roll is normally completely released, the lower brake shoe being held out of contact with the brake pulley by the force of gravity, while the upper brake shoe is raised out of contact with' the brake drum by means of compression spring 79, encircling the upper armature 77 and posi-.

tioned between the upper shoe and solenoid 78.

Means are provided for selectively connecting the brake for the running web roll with brakecontrolling mechanism, and as embodied, a pair of commutator rings are mounted on the side that as each new web roll is brought into webfeeding position, the corresponding brake for thatweb roll is rendered operative. 1

The braking force exerted by the active brake for tensioning the web or for stopping rotation of the web roll is supplied to solenoids 78 from mains 83 through conductors 84 and under continuous control of a series resistance varied by movement of the pilot roller. As embodied, a rheostat having a plurality of taps 96 is connected in series with the solenoid 78. One end of the rheostat 95 is connected to one of the mains 83, and a movable contact 97 supported by the pilot roller arm 50 andmoved thereby over taps 96, is connected to the solenoid 78. As the tension of the web increases, the resistance is cut into the circuit, 1' ucing the force with which the brakes are appl ed at the same time that the pressure of the s aps against the surface of the active web roll reduced. When the tension of the web decreases, the resistance is cut out of the circuit, thereby increasing the amount of current flowing through the solenoid 78 and increasing the pressure of the brake arms against the brake pulley. When the web breaks,- or when a considerable amount of slack accumulates at the pilot roller, all of the resistance is cut out of the circuit, causing the full line voltage to be applied tothe solenoid 78. The same movement of the pilot roller which causes the resistance to be cut out of the circuit, also opens the brake arms 41 and weight 33 is applied. with full force to the belts 25,

' stopping the rotation of the web roll very quickly.

It will be seen that this modified embodiment of the invention provides a mechanism by which the rotation of the active web roll, and the tension of the running web drawn therefrom, is continuously controlled by the application of a braking force to both the axial portion and the surface of the web roll, thereby preventing the loosening of the outer layers of the web roll and at the same time providing an extremely powerful braking mechanism by which the rotation of the web roll can be stopped with unusual speed.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be'made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the in-\ vention and without sacrificing its chief advanelectromagnetic braking means and friction members engaging the surface of the web roll and controlled by the pilot roller.

3. Web controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, a pilot roller, pilot roller controlled means for applying a variable braking force to the axial portion of the web roll, straps engaging the surface of the web roll, means for moving said straps by movement of the pilot roller and for maintaining said straps in contact with the web roll.

4. Web controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls and means for moving successive web rolls into web feeding position, a pilot roller, pilot roller controlled means for applying a variable braking force to the axial portion of the web roll, friction members engaging the surface of the web roll and means for moving said friction members directly by movement of the pilot roller.

5. Web controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls and means for moving successive web rolls into web feeding position, means for applying a variable braking force to the axial portion of the web roll, a pilot roller, means for automatically operatively connecting the pilot roller with the brake for successive web rolls as they are brought into web feeding position, straps engaging the surface of the web roll, means for moving said straps by movement of the pilot roller and for maintaining said straps in contact with the web roll.

6. Web controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls and means for moving succesive web rolls into web feeding position, means for applying a braking force to the axial portion of the running web roll, a pilot roller, means for automatically operatively connecting the pilot roller with the brake for successive web rolls as they are brought into web feeding position, straps engaging the surface of the web roll and means for moving said straps by movement of the pilot roller.

'7. Web controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls and means for moving successive web rolls into web feeding position, elec-- tromagnetic means for braking the web roll near its center, a pilot roller, a pilot roller controlled resistance in circuit with said electromagnetic braking means, straps engaging the surface of the web roll, means for moving said straps by movement of the pilot roller and means permitting individual yielding movement of the straps.

8. Web controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls and means for moving successive web rolls into web feeding position, electromagnetic means for braking the web roll near its center, a pilot roller, a pilot roller controlled resistance in circuit with said electromagnetic braking means, means for automatically operatively connecting the pilot roller with the brake for successive web rolls as they are brought into web feeding position, straps engaging the surface of the web roll, means for moving said straps by movement of the pilot roller and for maintaining said straps in contact with the web roll and means permitting individual yielding movement of the straps.

9. A web roll controlling mechanism including in combination means for rotatably supporting a web roll, a pilot roller adapted to be moved by changes in the tension of the web drawn from the roll, a brake acting on the axial portion of the roll and controlled by the pilot roller and a brake acting on the peripheral portion of the roll and controlled by said pilot roller.

HARLAND FANKBONER. 

